The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1887-09-14
A NOVEL DUEL.
AN INDIAN CHIEFS FIGHT WITH
BUFFALO BILL.
The Two Meet on Horseback Be-
fore an Army OF Indians and
General Crooks Troops
The Scouts Triumph.

Ferh1pS the greatest eApeIlcuCo VI
buffalo, Bills" life was the killing OF
" Yellow Hand" a famous Cheyenne
chief, and the consequent naming OF War
Bonnet Creek in Wyoming from that
circumstance. When General Crook was
serenading the Sioux tribe with bullets
in the summer of 1875, Buffalo Bill"
was his wagonmaster and chief of scouts.
A courier had just come into Crooks
camp with the intelligence that young
Sitting Bull had broken away from Red
Cloud Agency with eighty thousand
fighting bucks, and was then on the way
to join old Sitting Bull up here in Mon.
tana Territory; while "Yellow Hand,
the big chief of the Cheyenues, had also
left his agency without permis-
sion, with eight hundred warriors,
bound north on q similar errand.
Troops were out securing the country in
every direction, Crooks particular bust
ness being to reach Running Water, fol-
low on to Rawhide Creek, cross plateau
to Indian Creek, and there meet and
crush "Yellow Hand" or drive him back
to the agency. Arriving on the plateau
mentioned, clouds of Indians could be
seen far ahead in the dim distance, and
one of the officers predicted that every
body in the civilized command would be
killed. There were five companies of in
fantry and one troop of cavalry; the lat
ter making a detour and coming around
ahead of the wagon train in line OF bat
tie, while the mule whackers were ordered
to dismount and fight by their mules.
All this took time. At last the red men
drew quite near, when from their hosts
rode out in front of the lines, hating
midway, a magni6cently equipped and
gaudily decorated Indian, his handsome
war bonnet filled with eagles feathers
trailing behind, and shining Winches-
ter rifle resting easily on the angle of his
arm. He proudly sat his steedl'
and surveyed the pale faces with
insolence and scorn. Then uttering
a war whoop of defiance, the
one shot at his enemies. The challenger
wasa"Yellow Hand" His riding forth
alone, delivering but single shot and
that in the face of his enemies, the utter
ing of defiant war whoop; all this meant
nothing more nor less than q challenge
to duel. Was there no one among all
those white soldiers to take up the gaunt-
let so de6antly thrust at them2 For a
moment everything was still, not sound
was heard; the Indian meanwhile strid-
ing majestically before them and await
ing the result of his shot. Then all at
once, from the white mems lines dashed
O single horseman with his rifle carried
at a ready, who rode obliquely along
the front of the line. then turned
suddenly toward the champion, standing
alone and ready to receive him. Troops
and Indians watched with deepest in
terest the outcome of the fight for 1t
meant a duel to the death. Fellow
Hand" started his pony galloping in a
circle, lying far over on the opposite
side according to the aboriginal style
of fighting from horseback, fired shot
after shot quickly and rapidly at his
pale faced adversary. "Buffalo BIZ
sat his steed like Centaur and only
pulled the trigger when there was some
reason for it; preferring not to waste a
shot unless there was some chance of hit
ting. Gradually the circle became smaller
and faster "Yellow Hand" fired his
Winchester; always leading his magazine
and manipulating his piece while lying
alongside of and on the farther side of his
fying animal. When the distance had
been lessened to about $50 yards and
when "Buffalo Bill had been grazed
more than once by his enemy's lead, the
latter suddenly halted his horse, took a
quick and accurate aim at the circling
pair, and pulled the trigger. Down went
rider and steed rolling over in the dust,
both of them shot to the death. Rushing
forward the white scout leaped from his
horse and whipping out his long, keen
hunting knife, scalped the great warrior
in full sight of both armies.
With the loss of their leader the spirit
of the Indians was broken. They could
not fight after that calamity, the scalping
of their favorite chief utterly breaking
their savage hearts. They gave up the
scheme of joining the other hostiles in
Montana and hurried back to their own
agency, scattering provisions and plum
der by the way. That night the troops
camped on Indian Creek, and in honor OF
"Buffalo Bill's' great achievement and
handsome trophy taken from "lellow
Hands" head, the name was changed
from Indian Creek to War Bonnet Creek,
which latter title it still bears. Cleoeland